Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe

I've tried to make Mongolian beef before and ended up having to throw it away so I am always skeptical when I see a recipe that claims it's easy or only takes 30 minutes. Well this recipe did say it takes 30 mins, but maybe I had more meat and had to cook it up in batches so it took me about 45mins-1 hr from start to finish including cutting meat and such. I would save this for the weekend when you have more help watching the kiddos. This recipe comes from Just a Taste.

Ingredients-

Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 (1-pound) flank steak (do not use any other meat, this is a must)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 scallions (green parts only), sliced into 1-inch pieces

 

Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and water, stirring to combine.

Stir in the brown sugar and increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch pieces, then toss it with the cornstarch. Place the coated pieces of steak in a sieve and shake off any excess cornstarch. Allow the steak to sit 10 for minutes.

Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the beef to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes until it is seared on all sides but barely cooked in the center. Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the wok.

Place the sauté pan back over medium heat. Add the prepared sauce to the hot pan (it should come to a boil almost immediately), then add the reserved steak and cook at a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the sliced scallions, stirring to combine.

Transfer steak and scallions with a slotted spoon to a plate and serve. I served with brown rice and veggies. 

Rochester Plate Sauce

If you are from upstate New York then you know what a plate is. It is called a variety of things like trash plate, garbage plate, or just plate, but it is far from rubbish. You have seen me post about it on recent trips up to New York. I was so excited when my brother told me that Jim from Rochester platesauce.com was sending me a sample for you all to see!

The website also has recipes for a classic cheeseburger plate, mac salad and homefries that are KEY to a great plate. I want to bring you through the steps to make your own.

Start off by making your mac salad, home fries and burgers. 

 The recipes are quite simple and when you put the sauce and toppings on you realize you really don't need anything fancy.

 I just want to point out that mom made the best home fries ever!! 

Fill your plate with mac salad on one side and home fries on the other.

Put your hamburgers or cheeseburgers on top of the mac salad and fries. We cooked them on the stove in a skillet like suggested at about 1/4 lb each. You really don't want them too thick, thinner is better.

Next you will put your plate sauce on the burgers. The plate sauce comes with 3 packets in the box and enough for 2-3 healthy sized portions.

 It was super easy to prepare. You just cut it for ventilation and microwave it for 90 seconds. It was a great flavor and really made the plate come together.

The toppings that are popular with a plate are ketchup, mustard and onions (we omitted the onions). 

I love how I can make a plate at home and not have to be in New York to get one. This is one of the reasons Jim started the company. He lives in Massachusetts and his cravings turned into a plus for us all!  Head on over to his site to purchase your own plate sauce! Enjoy

*I wasn't compensated for this review. All opinions are my own. I was given a free sample of the plate sauce.

Saturday Steak Night

Since James got back from his tour of duty he has been craving steak so we decided to grill out on Saturday night.

Michelle made her famous steak marinade and we let it sit for the night.

We used a mixture of soy sauce, worcestershire and steak dust seasoning.

We waited until 8:30ish to start grilling since David had his online class all day so it was very nice outside.

Of course I had just gotten into my comfy clothes when we decided to take pics. Looks like I need some new t-shirts.

Sister shot in front of my garden

We also grilled corn to go with it

Little Madeline is so cute

The perfect summer meal- grilled steak, corn and sweet potato fries! Yum.

Meatball Sliders

I like to save recipes in my draft folder in my email with the subject: recipes to try. Lately, my list has become so long because we have been sticking to our P90x eating plan. I could venture away, but we have a nice routine going. I shared my list with my sister and she has tried a recipe for us all! Recipe comes from Let's Dish. These would make great appetizers for a party, too.

Meatball Sliders-
Ingredients (If making for dinner, you probably want to half this recipe)
1 bag frozen Italian Style meatballs (32 meatballs) Michelle made her own meatballs and these turkey meatballs would work great
1 jar (28 oz.) pasta sauce
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
11 slices mozzarella cheese, cut into thirds (shredded works just fine)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Simmer meatballs and sauce over low heat until warmed through (10-15 minutes). Separate crescent rolls into triangles. Cut eat triangle in half to form two triangles. Place 1/3 slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each crescent roll, top with meatball and roll up. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

 Michelle gave them a thumbs up and said this would be great for entertaining or for dinner. This looks great, thanks for cooking these up to share Michelle!

Cajun Meatloaf- AKA the best and only meatloaf I make now

When you think of meatloaf sometimes you think of plain, dry meat, but the Pioneer Woman has transformed the regular stereotype of meatloaf.  Her recipe calls for 3lbs of meat, I portioned it out smaller and used 2 lbs and it made 2 loaves.  So click here for the original recipe (great for freezing and leftovers).

One thing that I love about the recipe is the use of vegetables. I actually feel somewhat healthy eating this. Those peppers look so fun to me. Have you ever been to California Pizza Kitchen and seen their wall art of Vegetables? I LOVE them and wish I could steal them off their walls. Okay on to the recipe.
          Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Bell Peppers (I used a red and half a green)
• Medium Onion
• 1 bunch Celery (I used 4 Ribs)
• 4 cloves Of Garlic
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Optional: A Few Shakes Of Hot Sauce
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 1/4 cups Milk
• 1 cup (to 2 Cups) Breadcrumbs
• 1 pound Of Lean Ground Beef (92% Lean)
• 1 pound Ground Pork
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• Extra Ketchup for Topping

Chop all of the fresh vegetables (peppers, onions, celery) into a small dice and mince the garlic.  Over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter.  This takes the longest time so if you are in a rush you can do most of this ahead of time.

Once butter begins to start browning, add the diced vegetables and garlic.  Add about 1 teaspoon salt.
After these have cooked for a few minutes add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  If you like it hot, add a couple shakes of your favorite hot sauce (I left this out).  Next add about 1/4 cup of ketchup.  Continue cooking and stirring for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Don't the colors look magnificent in the pan, am I the only weird one that thinks so?

After allowing the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes, add about 1/4 cup of milk.  Stir until combined.  Next add at least 1 cup of breadcrumbs.  Continue adding breadcrumbs and stirring until mixture is a nice, thick paste.

In a large mixing bowl place the ground beef and pork.  Whisk 2 eggs and add to the meat.  After allowing the pasty vegetable mixture to cool down a bit, begin incorporating it into the meat.  Keep working all of the Cajun-Vegetable mix into the meat until all is blended well.  Spray meatloaf pans with cooking spray and put the meat mixture evenly between the 2 pans (I had plenty for 2).  You can also form yours right on a baking sheet (Pioneer Woman does that) or I sometimes make meatballs from this.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together 1/2 cup of ketchup with about 2 tablespoons honey. Slather this sauce over the whole meatloaf. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

I know this doesn't look that appetizing, but it really is great. It has just the right amount of spice, but not too much. Hope you enjoy!

Fun With My Apron

I've been wanting to share this photo of my favorite apron for a while not. I am not sure if I have posted this or not so if I have, I'm really sorry. Lacey went to Europe last year and brought this back for me. It is perfect for cooking and I seriously use it at least 2-3 times per week. LOVE IT. Thanks Lacey. Yes, this photo was from the summer as I am wearing one of my sisters summery outfits.

I also wanted to share another recipe for freezer cooking. I went to the store and got a couple aluminum pans with lids on them. Since I was making my baked ziti for my neighbor, who just had a baby, a disposable container works the best.

Baked Ziti Ingredients-
(Keep in mind this recipe makes two 9x13 pans of pasta)
1 lb Mild/sweet sausage removed from casing
1 lb Lean ground beef
2 lbs Rigatoni or ziti
1 bag of mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheese (optional)
2 jars of pasta sauce

-Combine meats in a frying pan and cook until brown. Drain the juices so its not too oily. While you are cooking your meat start boiling your water. Add sauce to the cooked meat and simmer until your pasta is ready. Mix together pasta and sauce mixture in your pans. Add a hand full of mozzarella cheese while mixing. Top with the rest of the cheese. If you are giving away you can deliver as is or freeze. De-thaw in the refrigerator and cook for 20-25mins at 350 degrees.  

I made ours that night and served with garlic bread and salad. Mmm mmm good. The neighbors loved it, too!

Tasty Lettuce Wraps!

These lettuce wraps were awesome! We love eating PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps so I decided to try these ones from the Pioneer Woman. We used ground beef, but it had so much flavor you couldn't even tell distinctively what meat it was, in a good way.
Ingredients:

• 1 pound Ground Beef Or Turkey
• 2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil, Or Other Light Cooking Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 1 clove Garlic, Large
• 1 piece Fresh Ginger (1 Inch Long) I couldn't find this at the grocery store so I left out
• 1 whole Red Pepper
• ½ cups Diced Water Chestnuts
• 3 Tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine
• 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Chili, Or Satay, Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1 head Iceberg Lettuce

Prep the veggies: Dice the onion and red pepper. Drain and rinse the water chestnuts. Mince the garlic and the ginger. Cut out the core of the iceberg lettuce and give it a rinse. Allow the lettuce to drain, and carefully loosen the leaves.
Prep the sauce: Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, peanut chili sauce, hoisin sauce and the sesame oil.

Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil to the pan, allow it to heat up for a minute, then add the diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes. When it starts to become translucent (after 4 or 5 minutes), add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the ground meat. Brown the meat, then add the red pepper and water chestnuts, stirring constantly.

This is my head of lettuce all spread out!

After another 3 or 4 minutes, add in the Chinese cooking wine. Allow this to sizzle and cook for about a minute, then add in the sauce. Stirring frequently, let this cook for 2 or three minutes. The sauce should thicken a bit. If it doesn’t, you can add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch.

Serve with the iceberg lettuce: take one leaf and add a few heaping spoonfuls of the meat mixture, fold up, and enjoy!

French Dip Dinner- Version 2

I made french dip a few months ago, but I decided to try another recipe to compare. This one comes from my other favorite food blog, Pioneer Woman. Honestly, I just don't know what one is better. It depends on the ingredients you have.

Ingredients-
    * 1 whole 2.5 To 4 Pound Chuck Roast
    * ¼ cups Butter
    * 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced Thick
    * 3 cloves Garlic, Peeled
    * ½ cups Soy Sauce
    * 1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry Is Fine)
    * ½ teaspoons Salt
    * 4 cups Water
    * Toasted, Buttered Deli Rolls
    * OPTIONAL: Rosemary, Thyme, Other Spices

Preparation Instructions
Heat butter in a heavy pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, or until starting to get brown. Pour them into your crock pot.

Add a little more butter to your skillet and sear your chuck roast for a few minutes on each side to seal in the flavors. Move your chuck roast to sit on top of your onions. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover pot and simmer (very low heat) for 6-8 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and falling apart.  Shred meat with two forks until all large chunks are gone. Serve immediately or continue to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

*Mixture can be refrigerated overnight. Remove hardened fat from top of pan before reheating.

Serve on top of toasted, buttered deli rolls. Top with cheese and place under the broiler if desired.

Amber and Audrina came over for dinner. She brought Wine Ice Stirs. I got it for her for a birthday and we wanted to try it out. You were suppose to make the powder mixture and freeze it, but we skipped that step. You mix it with wine and put it in a blender with ice. It was very good.

Here is the final masterpiece. It was so yummy!

Amber also brought these yummy desserts from the diner that we all like to go to. We had baklava, Strawberry shortcake, and Peanut butter cup cake! They were all soo delicious!

I had fun playing with Audrina outside. She loved the tarp that we had out. She thought it was similar to bubble wrap and would jump on it and dive into it.

She was also just running around the yard and David was trying to keep her out of trouble. I snapped this picture really quick, but they were moving a lot so it was a bit blurry.

We tried for a group shot, but Audrina really didn't want to be apart of it.

So here is just me and Amber. We had a lot of fun! Hope you guys can come over again soon!

Weeknight Lasanga Toss

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a great Mother's Day weekend. We had beautiful weather here, sorry to the NY peeps who had snow this weekend! Time to relocate, it's the middle of May! 

I realized I haven't posted a recipe in a while so I will share a few this week. This one looks and tastes like lasagna, but takes half the time! It is also made in ONE pan! How great is that.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

2   green peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar  (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1-2/3 cups water

1/4 cup  KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

Directions:

Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.
Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. If you'd like to see a video on how to make it head on over here.

 

I ran out of mozzarella cheese, so I just put Parmesan on, but you should get the mozz. for this dish. This is great for guests, or like it says in the title, an easy weeknight meal.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

This photo was taken this past weekend at a St. Patty's Day party. David had the best hat attire there! They served green beer in a keg and green punch! They also had Irish music and lots of fun people.

 

This next photo is from work today with us girls wearing our green! We have Leah, Andrea, Lacey and me!

We are having Amber, Preston and Audrina over for dinner tonight and our dinner is already cooking in the crock pot. We are having Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrots and Potatoes. Green beer and Green Apple Martini's will be enjoyed by all. 

 The recipe comes from the Food Networks Sandra's Money Saving Meals. I just cut up the potatoes and added it to the crockpot to save time. It was a little full in there, but I think it will come out great!

Corned Beef:

• 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored, roughly chopped
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 cup water

Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced in 1/2
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For Corned Beef:

Put the carrots and onions on the bottom of slow cooker, and put the corned beef on top. Arrange the chopped cabbage around the beef. Add the apple juice and 1 cup of water along with the contents of the spice packet. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours until the beef is tender. Remove the beef and vegetables to a platter and keep warm.

For potatoes:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return them to the pot.Add the butter, garlic, parsley, and salt, and pepper, to taste. Gently combine so that all the potatoes are evenly coated. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with corn beef and vegetables from the slow cooker.

Steak Kabobs & Weekend Update

Last weekend when it was warm for a few days we decided to fire up the grill. I am behind on posting some recipes so I might post more than 1 per day. These were just our own mix. We used steak cut up, red peppers, and onions. We marinated the steak in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and McCormick's grill seasoning (I think that's the name, but its the best stuff for steak and burgers). 

All grilled up and tasty. I can't wait for it to be warm and spring soon!

This weekend looked really warm out, but it was in the 50's so you really still had to bundle. I picked some weeds and enjoyed it a little bit, but Molly was the one out there a lot! Here is a photo of her enjoying the dead grass mix.

No crate update for Miss Molly: Starting Jan 1, we wanted to try and leave molly to roam the house and I am happy to say that we have not put molly's crate back up in the family room. We did have issues the first 3 weeks, but after that she has been an angel (knock on wood). She also has a dog door that she can go in and out from and right in front of it started to collect a lot of grass and dirt from outside. We were having to mop the floor more often. So this weekend we got her a nice entrance mat for her door and hopefully this will help. Sorry the lighting was bad so you can't see it that well.

 I also made homemade chicken salad and put it on croissants. I'll post the recipe later this week. Happy Monday everyone!